krakau



H. T. KRAKAU.

ENGINE COUPLING. AiPLlCATION FILED MAY 13, 191i- RENEWED APR. 2811914. wmw

Patented Aug. 1,1916.

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INVENTOR HQ-T. KRAKAU. ENGINE COUPLING.

APPucM om FILED MA! 3, 191']. RENEWED APR. 28, 1. 514; Ll93fififim Patented Aug. 1,1916. 3 SHEETSSHEET 2 a w W m ma H. T. KRAKAU.

ENGINE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1911.

RENEWED APR.28|'|914.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES WW @TATEfi PATENT @FFTFE HARRY T. KRAKAU, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIO-NOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ENGINE-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

' Application filed May 13, 1911, Serial No. 627,039. Renewed April 23,1914. Serial no. 835,047.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY T. KRAKAU, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Clevelandfin the county'of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Engine-Couplings,

of whichthe following is afull, clear, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which: I

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the truck of an engine and tender provided with my improved coupling; Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a modification; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, partly in section; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing the connection between the coupling member and the buffer block; Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan View of another modified form of the coupling; Fig. 4% is a sectional side elevation of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6-are detail views of the end plates for the pulling segment; and Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are detail views showing different arrangements of the movable traveler and pulling segments.

My invention relates to the connection between engines and tenders, and is designed to overcome certain difficulties inherent with the present methods of connection.

The coupling now employed between engines and tenders consists of a rlgld bar extending beneath the engine and tender and connected thereto by pivot pins at points relatively near the adjacent ends of both engine and tender, these ends abutting squarely against each other. The correct location of the pivotal points of the ends of this coupling bar should be the centersof motion or pivotal centers of the engine driver truck and the adjacent tender trucli, respectively, but such a location is impossible,'upon the engine at least, with the present construction of locomotives. The present bar connection, owing to the fact that its incorrectly located pivot-points change their distance from each other when the engine and tender pass around a curve, causes great strain to be thrown upon the bar and this condition is largely aggravated by the abutting-square ends of the locomotive and tender'which corner upon each other in passing around curves and exert a powerful pressure to stretch the bar by still further increasing the distance between these pivoted ends. It will readily be seen that such a and this lateral regidity causes grinding on the wheel flanges, wear and spreading of the rallsand a tendency to force the wheels over and oil the rails on curved portions of the track. y

My invention is designed to overcome these difliculties not only by providing lateral flexibility between engine and tender, but by so connecting the coupling bar to both, that its points of engagement at either end never tend to increase their distance from each other. This is accomplished by allowing this bar to have substantially the same movement which it would have if pivoted atthe centers of motion of the adjacent engine and tender trucks, and by so constructing the abutting ends of the engine and tender that they do not tend to corner upon each other when angling horizontally as in passing around a curve. In this way, all friction and strains with the damage and loss incident thereto are eliminated. In the drawings (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:) 2 represents the driving wheels of an engine truck, shown in this instance as a six-wheel truck having its pivotal center at a; and 3 represents the trailer wheels of the engine; 4 represents the adjacent truck wheels of the tender truck; and 6 indicates the frame of the tender. The center of the tender truck is indicated at Z), and on curves, the coupling should be maintained on a straight line con necting the points a and b. As thisis impossible in practice, owing to the location of the fire box and other parts of the engine, which would interfere; I provide a coupling consisting of a bar 7, the rear portion 8 of which is horizontally pivoted on a vertical pin 9, on the tender frame; this pin being as near as possible to the center of motion Z) of the tender truck. As shown, the pin passes through suitable ears on the part 8 and through a lug 10 on a pivot casting 11, se- 10g cured to the center sills 12 of the truck frame. The part 8 is connected to the bar 7 by an intermediate member 13, which is rigidly keyed to the bar 7 and is pivoted to the part8 by a horizontal pin 14, thus giving 105 Figs. 1 and 2. I have shown the bar 7 as 110 f iconnected to the part 13 a tapered jkey- 15, though anysuitable detachableHconnection may be employed. 1 1

The orward end of the bar 7; earries' a traveling cage or case 16, which is-ipre'ferably formed as an integral castingwith the I bar 7 In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4,

the traveling cage has a central horizontal wo 17, with inwardly flanged heads 18 and 19, which contain antifriction rollers-J These rollers bear upon the flanged front and rear faces of a two-part pulling segment '20, whose ends are secured to the members 21 of the engine frame. This pulling segment. has its front and rear faces struck substan tially on arcs of circles from thepoint a as a center, and the web 17 of the traveler moves between the upper andlower halves of the segment 20.

The intermediate portion of "with"; v1; is

provided with upwardly projecting lips 7., a

which engagedownward projections-22? on, a moyable' buffer block 22, having concavefjf, front and rear faces. The concavity of these? fa'cesfits the convex'faces'ofbuffers 23' and.

23, secured to the'end framing of thefltender and engine, respectively, theflarcof-part23 being struck from the center-ofthepinQ and the are of the bufier 23 beingi'sti uck' from the point a as a center; 'Ihejbinfer block 22 is suitably engaged withflthe bufiiers23 and 23 in any desirable way: jInfthe form showmthis is accomplished by recessing the upperand lower portions of the buffer block,

causingits thicker central ortion to engage I recesses'inthe faces of bu ers 23 and 23. v

I preferably divide the buffer 22 vertically and-longitudinally into two sections, having a suitab e interlocking engagement with each other, as by means of the interfitting lugs and recesses 22", to hold the sections rigid with respect to lateral movement, but permittin .relative vertical movement, such as ,may 0 ur when the locomotive and tender are passing over irregularities in the track.

In the operation of the system, as the en;

gine andtender move around a curve, the.-

' bar 7 will swing on thepin 9, its traveling pull between the trucks,

ing -action exerts a powerful leverage, tending to rupture the coupling bar and the bar 7, in its lateral movements, by reason of its engagement with the buffer 22, will always guide said buffer into its proper position betender. V

It'will be apparent that my invention prolvides a coupling between'the engine and tender,'such that the points of engagement tween. the curved buflers on the engine and J v of the ends of the coupling member with the engineand tender are always the same distance apart.

In Figs. 5 and'6, I show the details of the connection of the segment 20.

figures, 24 is one of the end plates secured to the sill member, 21, this pasting having in- ,tegral flanges 2.5, to fitthe flanged ends of the two segments. The upper segment is dropped into place in theflanges of these end In these I plates-and is secured by bolts 26, while the i In Fig. 7,1 show a form of traveler head similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, ex-

cept that the heads .18 and 19? are not lower-segment is pushed up underneath into Y the lower pocket, and a liner 27 is then slid I into place beneath it and is secured by cotter -.bolts 28. The lower segment is secured to the lower flange by the bolts 29.

flanged,-andthe roller bearings are done away with. In Fig. form, the traveling cage taking theform of 8, the segment 20 is of single a box with a removable top. portion 30, se-

cured thereto, rollers 31 being interposed be tweenthe front and rear faces of the seg- I ment and the front and rear faces of the box.

In Fig. 9, the segment is a'single bar 20,

while the traveling cage partially encirclesit, the one head 19 lipping over the top of I the segment, as shown at 32.

v In Fig. 10, the cage takes the form of a box surrounding the segment 20, the box having a central upwardly projectingstem 33, carrying a bushing or roller 34:, moving within a curved central slot.

In Fig. 11, the segment 20 is in two parts, and the web 17 of the traveling cage has a I head 35 traveling within curved slots in the segment irons. In Fig. 1*, I

have shown a modification in which both ends of the couplingbar are rovided with travelers'36, engaging pul ing segments 37 and 38, secured respectively-to the engine and tender frames. Thearcsof curvature of the segment 3.8are struck from the truck'center Z; as'a center. In. this construction, the coupling bar moves radially about both'centersa and b in substantially v the same manneras in the before described. I r

While the center at constructions truck, as is the point b on the tender, it is nevertheless 'the pivotal center of the truck,

being the point which is always maintained over the center of the track. In engines of the articulated type,-. this point a will be the v p w isnot apivotal con-' nection between the engine frame andthe pivotal center of the drivers forming the rear truck.

The advantages of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, since the excessive strain and wear and the extra power incident thereto are practically eliminated, and the danger of derailment on ac count of the lateral strains on the frames and wheels is practically done away with. The pull is always substantially on a line between the truck centers on curves as well as on straight portions of the. track and excessive strain and wear thus avoided.

Many different forms of connections be-- tween the coupling bar and the segment may I beemployed, the universal coupling connection for the bar may or may not be used, and many other changes may be .made without departing from my invention.

I claim 2- 1. In an engine coupling, a coupling member engaging the tender, and its other end having connection with the engine frame at a point to the rear of the center of its driving wheel truck, said member being movable radially about said center.

2. In an engine coupling, a coupling member engaging the tender and having its other end provided with a movable engagement with the engine frame ata point at the rear of the pivotal center of the driving wheel truck, the line of movement of said connection being substantially equidistant from said center at all points.

. 3. In an engine coupling, a bar pivoted to the tender truck and having its end pol;- tion engaging with and moving along a pulling segment on the engine.

4. In an engine coupling, an engine and tender having cooperating buffers with con vex faces, and a buffer block concaved on opposite faces to engage the convexed faces of both butters, the convex faces of the buffers being substantially on arcs struck respectively from the center of the engine truck and a point adjacent to the center of the tender truck, and a bar with its rear end -pivoted adjacent to the center of the tender truck and having its other end engaged with and moved on a pulling segment on the engine, said bar also having an intermediate engagement with the bufferblock.

In an engine coupling, a coupling bar pivoted adjacent to the center of the tender truck and having its front end engaged with and traveling over a pulling segment on the engine, said segment having its arc of ourvature struck from the pivotal center of the driving wheel truckof the engine.

6. In an engine coupling, an engine and tender having cooperating buffers with convex faces, and a concaved face buffer block engaged with said faces and connected with a. pivotal coupling bar. said block being formed in sections capable of relative vertical movements, but rigid with respect to lateral movements.

7. A bufier block for couplers, having double concaved transverse faces and divided vertically into two sections capable of relative vertical movements.

8. In a draft gear for railway vehicles, the combination with a chafing plate adapted to be attached to each of the adjacent ends of two vehicles, and having a convex surface, 'of a chafing block formed in separate parts interposed between said chafing plates, and having concave surfaces, said 10. In a draft gear for railway vehicles,

the combination with a chafing plate adapted to be attached to each of the adjacent ends of two vehicles, and having a convex surface, of a chafing block having double concave faces cooperating with the convex surfaces of the two adjacent chafing plates, said block being formed in separate parts having the capacity of a relative vertical movement, and means attaching said parts to the respective chafing plates.

11. In a draft gear for railway vehicles, the combination with a chafing plate adapted to be attached to each of the adjacent ends of two vehicles, and having a convex surface, of a chafing block having double concave faces cooperating with the convex surfaces of the two adjacent chafing plates, said block being formed in separate parts having. the capacity of a relative vertical movement, and projecting flanges on one of said parts for preventing a transverse movement of one part relative to the other.

12. In an engine coupling, a. coupling member pivotally engaging the tender at one end and its other end being secured to the engine frame and being movable radially about the center of motion of its driving wheel truck.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

p HARRY T. KRAKAU.

Witnesses:

CHESTER K. Bnoons, GERALD C. DIXON. 

